Tag:2017 General Assembly

There’s been a lot written about this year’s state budget, and there will be more. That’s what happens when you’re dealing with a 438-page bill allocating $24 billion. A lot of money, a lot of competing interests, a lot of detail. I looked at local government allocations in the budget previously, and it comes…

The way teachers are paid may soon change as several school districts begin experimenting with different models. The State Board of Education approved the pilot programs of six school districts to start in the 2017-18 school year.

The General Assembly tried but failed Thursday to clean up its act. The House did not follow the Senate’s lead, and vote on House Bill 162, an act to clamp down on an ever-growing stack of agency regulations. Instead, the General…

The State Board of Education has approved $2.5 million in budget cuts to the Department of Public Instruction. The savings will come from staff cuts and operating expenses. An additional $737,285 will be cut in a few weeks to meet the $3.2 million cut required by the 2017-19…

From Carolina Journal Radio Program No. 739: North Carolina lawmakers have adjourned their regular “long” session, but that doesn’t mean they have finished work for the year. They plan to return to Raleigh in early August and again in September. Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, explains why lawmakers have…

John Locke Foundation Senior Vice President Becki Gray and Chairman John Hood answer host Tom Campbell’s questions about interesting aspects of the 2017 N.C. legislative session. These exchanges took place during the July 9, 2017, edition of “N.C. Spin.”…

North Carolinians had much to celebrate over the Independence Day weekend. Unlike residents of, say, New Jersey. Even though the Garden State had no budget in place, Jerseyites saw Gov. Chris Christie luxuriate on a public beach that was closed to, well, the public. Unless you were…

Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, discusses the N.C. General Assembly’s decision to return to Raleigh at least twice in August and September after the conclusion of its regular “long” 2017 legislative session. Henderson offered these comments during an interview with Donna Martinez for Carolina Journal Radio.

As state lawmakers returned home for a brief summer break, some members and their staffs were awaiting court orders outlining new General Assembly districts after federal judges declared the current map unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered. A U.S. District Court for the Raleigh area is expected to issue instructions soon that may break up 28 state legislative districts. The goal is making future…

From Carolina Journal Radio Program No. 737: Amid partisan fights on Jones Street, N.C. lawmakers have reached bipartisan agreement on some issues. Among them is an effort to improve relationships between local law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. During a recent news conference, legislators from both sides…